In the darkness
by viktriap
Summary: The Source slowly takes Cole over. Would it have been possible to save him, if the girls had realized what's happening?
1. Default Chapter

In the darkness  
  
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own anything.  
  
Summary: Season 4 (as I haven't seen season 5 yet!) the Source just started to obsess Cole, and there might be somebody who can help him and the girls to avoid the sad future. My "what if", because I think (just like a lot of you) that they wasn't fair with Cole.  
  
AN: This is my first fic I post, and my first story in English so please be kind with me and overlook my mistakes. Anyway, please review!  
  
I.  
  
A young woman is sitting in a run-down apartment. She is sitting on the dusty floor, legs crossed and eyes closed. She is about twentyfive, has dark hair and is definitely pretty. After a long moment she opens her eyes - these are dark-blue, but look blindly at the world. She is tracking on the floor, and grabs her stick as she finds it. Stands up, and puts on her sunglasses.  
  
"The timing has to be perfect" she mumbles to herself and walks out of the flat.  
  
***  
  
Phoebe, Piper and Paige are in their kitchen, preparing for breakfast. Or rather, Piper is preparing the other two are sitting at the table.  
  
"What's up Phoebe? You had a busy night as I see?" mocks the eldest sister.  
  
Phoebe is quite sleepy at the moment.  
  
"No, not in the way you think!"  
  
"Oh!" sighs Paige. "The honeymoon is over!" she jokes, but Piper sees, something is really wrong.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I think, Cole has nightmares, or something. Ha was tossing and turning the whole night. And it wasn't the first time!"  
  
"Did you ask him about it?"  
  
"Yeah, but he told, he didn't remember anything!"  
  
"Where is he now, by the way?"asks Paige.  
  
"Out for a walk. He got up quite early I suspect."  
  
"You should talk to him! I think it must have been a great shock for him to lose his demonic side. Maybe that's what bothers him!" suggested Piper. "I don't know. He was quite O.K. with it! But maybe you're right. But now, I have a job, so...  
  
And with that she vanished upstairs to get ready.  
  
***  
  
In the editorial office she coldn't really concantrate on the letters. She was tired and grumpy after awekening every half an hour during the night. Cole really scared her. First she woke him up, but he said he didn't remember having a nightmare. But he was pale and ragged, and looked somehow...frightened. It might be a demon as well or some dark magic - they'd had similar experiences before. She decided to talk to him as soon as she gets home. This helped a little bit, so she grabbed the next letter - and then had a vision.  
  
A young woman, about her age, is walking on a street. There's nobody else there, but the next moment a demon shimmers in, next to her. He has an athame in his hand. The woman doesn't recognize him - and Phoebe sees it's because she's blind. She has on dark sunglasses and has a slender white stick. The demon grabs her hand and that's when the woman recognizes, she is in danger, but it's to late. He cuts her throat and Phoebe almost feels the blood in her mouth...  
  
She looks around - she's back in her office, but is still under the effects of the vision. She never had such a vivid one. They mostly are like she was watching them on TV, but this...it was as if she was the woman...as if she was killed...  
  
Her next thougt was: I know where it happened. And indeed she did - the street was near the office, she walked through it every morning. When will this happen? She had the feeling that quite soon, so she let the letters and stormed out of the office.  
  
***  
  
The street was abandoned. She stopped in a gateway where she couldn't be seen but she could keep an eye on everything. Moments passed by and she started to think that she had been wrong. Maybe it hadn't been this street, these alleys are not that different! Or maybe it will happen in the farther future... In that exact moment the woman from her vision appeared at the end of the alley. She walked surprisingly fast for a blind, or so Pheobe felt. Every now and then she knocked with her stick on the wand or on the pavement. Phoebe tensed and waited for the attack, the woman almost passed her and still nothing happened. What's going on? Was she wrong or... The woman stopped and looked at her... or of course she didn't look, but turned her head in Phoebe's direction.  
  
"Hi, Phoebe Halliwell if I'm correct?" she told in a soft voice.  
  
Phoebe gaped.  
  
"How do you know...?" "How do I know you are here? Or how do I know who you are?" she asked.  
  
"Both, I think" she felt almost shocked.  
  
"To answer your first question: I locked you here. And the second: I suppose there isn't a demon who doesn't know the Charmed Ones."  
  
"You are..."  
  
"Yes, in a way, but you don't have to worry, I'm not your enemy. I just wanted to talk to you."  
  
Phoebe didn't know how to react. The woman didn't seemed dangerous, more over she seemed rather fragile and vulnarable. In the end she decided she would listen.  
  
"And what would be the topic."  
  
"Cole."  
  
She felt her jaw drop.  
  
"What...?  
  
"Let's take a walk with me."  
  
They started walking down the street and the woman...or demon started to speak.  
  
"I don't really know how to tell it subtly, so this is it: Cole is in big trouble and so are you and your sister. I know that a few weeks ago you vanquished the Source, or so you think. Correct?"  
  
"Yes. But what do you mean with: so we think?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"The thing is: the Source isn't dead. He, or rather his essence stayed alive. It looked for a new keeper..."  
  
"But who...Oh, my god!" everything started to make sense now. His strange behaviour lately, his nightmares, those scared and strange looks. "This can't be true!"  
  
"Unfortunately, it is. I wish it wasn't" she spoke in such a sad tone, that it made Phoebe's head jerk up.  
  
"Who are you, really? Why would a demon want to rescue Cole?" she asked.  
  
"I'm his sister."  
  
"What? He never talked about a sister!" Phoebe stated a little bit suspciously.  
  
"Maybe he didn't know how you would react. My name is Rose, by the way."  
  
Maybe it was a stupid idea but Phoebe trusted this woman. It might be because of the definite resemblance with Cole, that she only now realized.  
  
"What can we do?" her worry came back again. The Source took Cole over! Her love! The man she wanted to marry! It can't happen, not now when everything seemed so perfect!  
  
"The Source hasn't took him over perfectly, not yet. Cole is still in ther, but... I don't know how long he can hold on. The Source is very strong and powerful, and as Cole is only human now..."  
  
"How do you know so much?"  
  
"It's part of my power. I'm a kind of...telepath, if you want. That's how I locked you here: I influenced your mind. And I have a special connection with Cole. I feel him...almost all the time."  
  
"What shold we do?"she asked again.  
  
"I don't really know. But you have to find a way to help him. If you don't...He will be destroyed totally and your relationship with it..."  
  
"We should talk to my sisters!"  
  
"But he can't know about it...or me. I suppose that most of the time the Source is in power. If he recognizes that you know, he will act. At the moment he isn't ready yet, but if he suspects something he will take the risk and attack you in one way or another. And he knows me..."  
  
Suddenly Rose swayed and would have collapsed if Phoebe hadn't grabbed her. She became pale as ashes.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Pheobe as she tried to support the woman.  
  
"It's Cole" her voice was only a whisper."He is...suffering." 


	2. The decision

AN: I don't know how many people read the first chapter, but here is the second one. I know it took a lot of time, I'm really sorry because of it. Enjoy, and review, please!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Of course I still don't own anything.  
  
II. The decision  
  
Finally they arrived at Rose's apartment. Phoebe had to support her during their journey, but they managed. At the moment Rose was lying on her couch in this small and dark flat. Phoebe was pacing back and forth after she had called for Leo. The next moment the familiar blue lights appeared and then his brother-in- law was there a little bit out of breathe.  
  
"Did I disturb?" asked she, because she knew this look.  
  
"Not at all" he shook his head but definitely blushed. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Yes" and as she saw the worried look she added "but there's no immidiate danger. Could you orb Piper and Paige here? But discreet, I mean ... Cole shouldn't know about it."  
  
She got a strange look, but Leo nodded, and disappeared.  
  
Some more minutes passed by while she could only think about the new situation. If it was true... She couldn't bear the idea to lose Cole... Not now... not ever...  
  
When her sisters arrived they looked quite worried, so she suspected that Leo had told them something.  
  
"So, sis', what's up?" asked Piper trying to seem easy.  
  
"It's...oh, God.." she didn't know how to tell them. Just take a deep breathe and speak! "We have a problem."  
  
„And what's the news?" Piper was obviously in sarcastic mood.  
  
„The Source is alive. It's in Cole." There was no easy way to say it.  
  
„What?!" Piper was shocked. Paige covered her mouth with her hands as if avoiding a scream, but Leo hardly paid any attention. He eyed the strange woman suspiciously who was just sitting up on the couch.  
  
„She is a demon, isn't she?"  
  
„Yes, but she's no danger to us."  
  
„That's definitely news!" commented Piper.  
  
„Your sister's right...I'm not in the condition... More over I don't really have any active power..."  
  
„What kind of demon is it without an active power?"  
  
„Let it go, Piper!" Phoebe snapped impatiently. „We have more important things to worry about! We have to help Cole!"  
  
„Sorry honey, you're right! But if Cole's the Source..."  
  
Surprisingly enough it was the demon who intervened.  
  
„No! He is not the Source! It's only the essence and power of the Source that obsessed him. The Source lives on in him and wants to take over his body and destroy his mind and soul..." she coughed, and only then did Piper notice what had been so strange about the woman. She is blind! It's more and more interesting! A blind demoness without active power wants to help my sister's ex-demon boyfriend who suddenly became the Source of All Evil! Nice!  
  
„Rose says we can still save him!" Phoebe was on the edge of tears. „We have to save him!"  
  
„Rose?"  
  
„She" the younger witch waved at the woman.  
  
„You are at first-names already?"  
  
Phoebe fired an impatient look at her sister and Piper retreated.  
  
„How can you be sure that she doesn't lie us in the face?"  
  
Phoebe shrugged.  
  
"You know about the nightmares and he behaved quite strangely lately. And she is sure enough about it" she waved at the couch.  
  
"And who is she, by the way?" asked Piper.  
  
"I'm his sister."  
  
She was exactly overlooking all of them , but when Piper started to speak she turned her eyes in her direction.  
  
"I didn't know he has family..."  
  
"Yeah, I'm not one who he could show off with. But I didn't come to chat about myself. You should find a way to help him."  
  
"But if he's evil again...I don't know if we really should" pointed out Paige. She has never really accepted the idea: having a demon in the family. But to tell the truth she didn't have the time for it.  
  
"He isn't evil! You don't understand this whole situation! You don't know a thing about it!" Rose snapped and jumped of the couch.  
  
"I think you should relax" Piper raised her hands.  
  
"It's OK, Piper" Phoebe intervened. She hadn't tell a thing for a while, however she was the most concerned. "Rose, I think if we should beleive you and help then I think we should get more information about you and the situation. You told me that we still had some time. I suggest that we all calm and sit down and talk." She was quite surprised that she could speak and behave so calmly herself. After all she always had been the hotheaded rebel. But her words seemed to have an affect, because Rose sat down and so did Paige and Leo. Piper on the other hand only leant against the wall and eyed their host suspiciously.  
  
"All right then. But you have to understand time is a precious thing." She took a steadying breathe and started to talk.  
  
"First of all you don't have to worry about me, because I'm not a threat to the Charmed Ones. In spite of my brother, I'm not one of great power. Actually in the Underworld I'm not even considered as a demon, because as I mentioned before I don't really have an active power and as you see I'm ...hm ... phisically handicapped, as well...To tell the truth I'm kind of an outcast. But as I told this, isn't about me...  
  
"When you vanquished the Source – she continued, - Cole had the Hollow in himself – that much you know. He absorbed the power of the Source. I think in that moment He already knew that he lost, so he let be transported everything: not only his power but also his essence. So, what you vanquished was only a corpse."  
  
"His essence? What do you mean with it?" asked Paige.  
  
"His soul or mind, whatever. It was by instinct, he hadn't planned it, so he needed some time to recover. But after that pause he started to take over Cole body and repress him."  
  
"Can something like this happen?" asked Piper her husband.  
  
Leo nodded with a serious expression on his face.  
  
"Yes. Your mind, your unconsciousness is like an other realm. They could have some kind of battle there..."  
  
"Yes, this is exactly what happened. And Cole lost or is losing. He is only human now, he can't fight somebody who is as powerful and experienced as the Source. It is as if he were a prisoner. I think that there are times when he fights back, but in the end the Source will rule... and when he doesn't need him anymore, he will finish him off...  
  
"Why does he need Cole, anyway?" asked Phoebe and her voice was trembling slightly.  
  
This time Rose looked at her, almost as if she could see her. And Phoebe saw the pain and worry in her eyes. And she believed her...every single word.  
  
"Because he knows a lot..."  
  
They didn't have to ask what - or more exactly who - about.  
  
"The Source will use him, or at least try to use him...his knowledge about you, and maybe about humans generally as well..."  
  
"So what shall we do?" asked Phoebe quietly.  
  
"Does this mean that you believe me?" she asked a little bit surprised. "You'll help?"  
  
She nodded and looked at her sisters. Piper hesitated a moment but then nodded and Paige did the same, however she seemed a little uneasy.  
  
"What shall we do, then?" asked Piper this time.  
  
"First of all" answered Rose, after collapsing back on the couch, "we should contact him to make sure he keeps fighting. And then...whe should find the Sword of Arces...  
  
"Shit..." Piper looked surprised at her husband. Leo never cursed.  
  
"Is this so bad?"  
  
"Yes, it is. The Sword is deep in the underworld and it is supposed to be guarded by dragons."  
  
"Supposed?" asked Paige.  
  
"Oh, nobody saw it, or...nobody came back to tell about it."  
  
"Nice. And why do we need this particular sword, if I may ask?" Piper wasn't fascinated.  
  
"It's the only weapon a human can kill the Source with and it can exist in any realm. That's why the Source buried it deep in the Underworld" Rose explained.  
  
"And what will we do after that?"  
  
"We should somehow get the sword to Cole. He must kill the Source. There's no other way to save him...If somebody does it from the outside, Cole will be dead as well. And I wo"t let him down...not again..." declared their demon host determined. 


	3. Dark moments of love

AN: So, here it is! I know it had been a long time, but it wasn't a light bearing, if you know what I mean. I hope those out there who read this story will like it.  
  
I thank you for the rewievs, those meant a lot to me – I didn't dare to hope that somebody would be interested in my writing. So, thank you very- very-very much! Please do it again!   
  
Chapter III: Dark moments of love  
  
They used the Mind Link spell which they had tried before when Piper was in the power of the Source. After drawing the circle and casting the spell, Phoebe found herself in a cave-like room. It was a good idea to use the invisibility charm as well, because Cole wasn't alone when Phoebe appeared in the place. It wouldn't have been a fortunate encounter to find herself face to face with the Source of All Evil. The place (or Cole's subconscious, to be exact) wasn't too pleasant. It was as if they were in the Underworld, there were rocks everywhere and it was freezing cold. The scene that welcomed her wasn't nice, either.  
  
Cole was forced into a standing position by two heavy chains that came from the ceiling. He looked like hell. The clothes he was wearing – jeans and a grey shirt – were in tatters, covered in dust and blood. The left side of his face was also covered in dried blood and it was obviously badly bruised as well. His whole body was slightly trembling.  
  
"Why?" Phoebe shuddered, when the Source started to speak. The dark figure stood in front of Cole, looking at him as if he was studying some exotic animal. "Why do you do this to yourself?"  
  
Cole didn't answer at all, actually he didn't even acknowledged the presence of the Source.  
  
"You know I appreciate courage, but yours is absolutely misplaced. I will destroy them anyway... However you could make it easier for me."  
  
Cole visibly tensed when the Source rose his hand. Bluish energy shot from his hand and it enclosed Cole. His trembling became more pronounced - it was as if he got some kind of electroshock.  
  
"You know it will be worse with time" the Source put in conversationally.  
  
_Worse?_ Phoebe felt her heart break. This was their fault. Cole tried to protect them – he actually saved them from the Source – if he hadn't let the Hollow in himself, they would be all dead by now. And he still hasn't betrayed them.  
  
It seemed as if hours went by. Cole's body stopped trembling, it was jerking and convulsing now, so hard that he hit the back wall of the cave many times.  
  
"Just nod and I release you" offered the Source.  
  
Cole shook his head weakly. The Source just shrugged and waved. The blue lights intensified immediately and Cole started to scream in pain.  
  
Phoebe wanted to turn away – she couldn't bear to watch his love suffering, but she couldn't turn her head either. She felt as if she were rooted to the spot. She would have cried weren't she afraid of being discovered.  
  
Minutes ticked by and every scream that came from Cole was like a stab in Phoebe's heart. After a while the Source apparently got bored: he paced back and forth in front of his prisoner. A wave of his hand and the energy enclosing Cole's body disappeared, together with the chains holding him. Cole collapsed to the floor immediately, gasping for air. The chains re- formed themselves around his wrists in a different position. Now they were connected to the back-wall of the cave.  
  
The Source bent over Cole, gripped his hair and jerked back his head.  
  
"You know I'm going to win in the end. Think about it...you can't fight me."  
  
He banged his prisoner's head against the rock hard and Phoebe saw blood on the stone. The Source let Cole's body fell back to the floor, kicked him a last time and then vanished in a tunnel.  
  
For a moment Phoebe watched the limp figure of his love, but then she mumbled the spell and became visible again. She crept closer and kneeled next to him. There was no reaction at all, even after she called his name, so she cautiously touched his shoulder and shook him. She didn't want to cause him more pain but she had to wake him up.  
  
"Cole? Dear, it's me..."  
  
Whether from touching or from her words, but he jerked awake immediately and desperately wanted to pull away. Then confused and pained blue eyes looked at Phoebe and he stopped the stampede.  
  
"Pheebs...?" his voice was hoarse and barely auidable.  
  
"Yes, it's me. I don't have much time, so you have to listen to me..."  
  
"No."  
  
"What?" she asked surprised.  
  
"I know...it's just a new trick of you..." he coughed and clambered closer to the wall.  
  
"Cole..."  
  
"I. Won't. Say. A word" it was obvious that every pronounced word caused him pain but still there was definite resistance in his voice.  
  
For a moment Phoebe didn't know what to say or what to do to convince him. She stared at his battered face and then leant forward and kissed him passionately. When they caught air again Cole managed to say a coherent sentence.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Saving you."  
  
"I don't think it's possible."  
  
"Your sister has a plan..."  
  
"Rose?!" he almost jumped but the chains didn't let him. "She can't do it...she has to stay away!"  
  
"I don't think she cares about it."  
  
"Of course she doesn't, that's why I have to!"'  
  
"Cole, you are not in the condition to help anybody and now listen to me: we'll find a weapon for you, I'll bring it here and you have to kill the Source."  
  
"Sounds simple" he whispered in a tone which almost matched his usual sarcasm.  
  
"No, it isn't simple, but it's our only chance!"  
  
"No! Your only chance is to kill me before I turn evil again!" he almost shouted now, but then he started to cough and collapsed back to the floor.  
  
Phoebe just stared at him and stuttered.  
  
"You can't mean this! I won't kill you, never in this life!"  
  
"But you should, because I can't hold on forever. And I'd rather die than give him what he wants."  
  
"What does he want, actually?" she didn't really want to ask this question, but she had to.  
  
"I had closed up some of my memories... before he could catch me. It's about you... and your sisters. Your powers and mostly your weaknesses...And now he wants them."  
  
"You can't commit suicide just to save us" objected Phoebe and she felt tears in her eyes. "You have to fight! We will get the weapon, and than you will be free again."  
  
"This might be the only chance you have to kill the Source..."  
  
"No!"  
  
"If he takes me over he will be just as powerful as he had been before" he continued as if Phoebe hasn't said a word. "And he had been very close to finish you off..."  
  
"Don't you understand?! I won't do it, and there might be a way to save you, so stop this stupidity!" she cried tears running down her face.  
  
Cole seemed taken aback by this outburst of emotion and shut up. He just stared at Phoebe with tired eyes.  
  
"What's your plan then?" he asked after a few minutes quietly.  
  
Phoebe sobbed some more and then explained in a much softer voice.  
  
"Your sister" at this Cole frowned again but didn't say anything "came to us and told what was happening. She says there is a weapon somewhere in the Underworld which you could use to kill Him with. We will get that weapon, and I'll bring it to you."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"Don't know..." she answered sadly.  
  
Cole sighed.  
  
"Promise me one thing..."  
  
"What?" Phoebe asked suspiciously. She feared what he could ask for...  
  
"Two days. After two days you should kill me...  
  
There was so much pleading in his eyes and so much pain. Phoebe couldn't even imagine what he had gone through in the last week. And that eyes got her even if she didn't want to do what she was asked for.  
  
"I promise...I won't let him reign again..." She cried again but she didn't care.  
  
"Thank you. And now go...he usually doesn't leave me alone long..."  
  
She knew what this had to mean and her heart wrenched.  
  
"I'll be back as soon as possible. Hold on, please."  
  
"I'll try..."  
  
They were holding hands during the whole conversation and now Cole was pulling her closer. He kissed her lips gently and it was like a good-bye- kiss. Phoebe wanted to stay with him, but she knew this wasn't the solution. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the charm.  
  
------------------------  
  
They were waiting for Phoebe in the attic. Leo went to ask the Elders about the situation, so there were only the two of them and the demon.  
  
First Piper didn't want to let her in the attic but she really didn't seem to pose a threat. The woman had dark hair and blue eyes just like Cole and she had a beautiful face even if now was worry etched in every line of it. She seemed to be in her late twenties but you could never tell it with demons. The silence started to be really annoying. They've been sitting here now for about twenty minutes and nobody said a word since Leo left.  
  
"So, you are his sister." Piper said, absolutely unnecessary just to say something.  
  
"Yes."  
  
_This won't be a great conversation_, she thought.  
  
"You know we don't know much about Cole's...past" she stated.  
  
"Maybe you should have asked."  
  
Yes, maybe she was right. Piper has never thought about how hard it must have been for Cole. He tried so hard to fit in the family, but they never really let him. Piper has never told him, but she was quite impressed by his efforts – she would have never thought before that demons could be good if they tried and Cole was the living proof for that. He saved their life many times and risked his own during that. For example with the furies, or before that, when he went back to the Brotherhood, or when the Source wanted to convince her to give up her powers – she couldn't see it of course, but Leo told her. And now... he shouldn't have let the Hollow in himself, and he did it only to save them. And she has never thanked him for that, none of them actually, and they didn't even realized when he needed help.  
  
"Maybe we didn't want to hear his stories about being a killer" put in Paige suddenly.  
  
Rose turned her head in her direction.  
  
"Do you think he wanted it? Do you suppose it was his childhood-dream: being an assassin for the Source of All Evil?"  
  
There wasn't any anger in her voice only sadness. _Another thing I've never thought about._ Somehow Piper thought it natural that a demon became a killer, she's never supposed that Cole might have wanted anything else.  
  
"He always wanted to live a normal life, but he never managed." Rose continued bitterly and turned away again.  
  
"What do you mean?" a former remark of Rose came to her mind about not letting Cole down again.  
  
"He wanted to leave the Underworld a long time ago, but he failed. Or rather I failed, as always. They could use me against him and he had to continue his job for the Source. It was a terrible time...  
  
Piper would have asked more questions but this moment Phoebe arrived. She just appeared in the circle they had drawn for the charm. She looked desperate but safe and healthy.  
  
"Could you achieve him?" asked Piper, and Rose jumped to the question – apparently she didn't recognize the arrival before.

Phoebe nodded and then started to cry heavily.


	4. Fight for your soul

Author's note: I know it took a long time, but I was stuck with this story. I'm really sorry for it. However now it is here, all finished. First I wanted to divide it into two chapters but after that it took so long I didn't think it fair. Enjoy, and pleas review! Thank you all!

Chapter IV. Fight for your soul

The Underworld hadn't changed a bit since they had been here the last time. It was just as cold, dark and fearsome. The darkness apparently didn't bother Rose who led them quite confidently. However Piper wasn't so sure about this whole idea. She agreed on saving Cole, but this way? Searching for some kind of legendary sword, led by a blind demon who they didn't know at all.

But she knew that she couldn't have convinced Phoebe to search for another solution and to be honest she felt also obligated to save her sister's boyfriend. However once he had wanted to kill them – or wanted he anyway? after hearing Rose talking about him, Piper wasn't so sure about it anymore – now he was good, and after he had lost his demonic side, he could have been counted to the innocents.

Of course, it was quite dangerous for them to wander in the Underworld, but Rose assured them that they would use abandoned routes. And really: they've been wandering for about twenty minutes and haven't seen a single demon or warlock or whatever.

"Didn't you say that you don't live in the Underworld?" asked Paige suddenly. From them she was the most skeptic and suspicious about this whole mission.

"I don't live here." Rose answered. "But why is this important?"

"Then how do you know the place so well?"

"I didn't say that I never lived here. Actually I grew up here, just like Cole. We tried to discover all the tunnels, because we always wanted to see whether it's really endless here down."

"See?" Piper immediately caught the word.

"I wasn't always blind. But we shouldn't talk, somebody could hear us..."

Piper didn't miss the bitterness in her voice but she didn't ask more. She had to admit that she found this strange woman quite interesting, and decided that if everything turns out well, she would ask her a few questions... and she will try to change her relationship with Cole as well. It wasn't just her conscience (however it played a big part in it!) but they really should learn more about the Underworld and how it really worked if they wanted to their job better.

After a few more minutes, they arrived at a place where the tunnel divided into two and Rose stopped. She seemed suddenly not so confident any more...

"What's wrong?" asked Phoebe from behind.

"I don't know..." answered Piper who stood next to Rose and watched as the woman was listening to the noises that were coming from the left tunnel. That side looked pretty grim to Piper and the noises made it even more ominous. Screams echoed in the darkness, such painful screams that Piper had never heard before. "Rose?"

The young woman was trembling slightly, as if the screams caused her physical pain and she seemed not to hear Piper at all.

"Rose?" she called again. "Which direction should we go?"

She still didn't react, and Phoebe joined Piper at her side.

"Rose? What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

"It doesn't seem so..." said Piper and she put her hand on Rose's shoulder. "We have to go! Cole needs our help..."

Rose shook her head and turned away from the tunnel.

"We have to take the other one" she said quietly.

"What's there?" Piper waved at the left side. "It sounds bad."

"It's bad. There's the Chamber..."

"What Chamber?"

"The Chamber of Punishment."

"Punishment?"

"You don't want to know..."

"If it's so near to us, I want to know what it is." Piper declared.

Rose shrugged, but she didn't stop again.

"It is... a kind of prison. For demons who did something... against the will of the Source."

She was still pale, but seemed to be more collected than before.

"Were you there?"

"Not so long, but...."

"But?"

There was a long silence and then she asked.

"Can Phoebe hear us?"

Piper looked back and shook her head. Then she realized that Rose couldn't see the movement and said it loud.

"No."

"Cole spent there almost two years. It was...it doesn't matter..."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why was he in that... prison?"

For a few seconds Rose didn't answer, then she stopped.

"Why do you want to know?"

Piper shrugged. She didn't really know why she was so interested. Maybe she felt guilty that she never asked Cole about his past, or because she never thanked him for helping them out so often. All the same, she wanted to know.

"Maybe we won't have another chance to talk."

"You might be right" the demon admitted. And she started to walk again. "About fifty years ago... that time I didn't live in the Underworld anymore... Cole decided to give up his life here. He wanted to live as a human...in the normal world. So he left and stopped using his powers, in hope that this way the Source couldn't find him. It was a good plan, as he also guessed that after a while the Source would give up on looking for him. But He didn't... "

"They found him."

"No... actually they found...me. And then Cole came back, to save me... He was punished for his betrayal and after that he didn't try to escape again...until he met Phoebe."

Piper didn't know what she could say to that, but she didn't have to think about it, as Rose stopped again in front of another cave-mouth.

"I guess we are here" she said.

---------------------------------------

"This wasn't complicated at all!" declared Paige, as they arrived back at the Manor and she collapsed in one of the armchairs.

"Wasn't it?" asked Piper sarcastically. "And who was screaming when that man turned in that... I don't know what!"

"Dragon." put in Phoebe.

"All right dragon, then."

Phoebe was holding the sword that looked absolutely ordinary, even a little bit crippled with age.

"But we destroyed it quite easily" insisted Paige. "Just a spell, an explosion and everything was done."

"But we are not over. The complicated part is just to start" Phoebe said in a sad voice.

Piper awed her little sister. Phoebe was calm and determined, however she could feel the fear radiating from her. If Piper thought about Leo in a situation like this... She didn't even want to think about it! Probably she would have suffered a nervous breakdown by now...

"I'd rather go..." said Phoebe. And she stepped inside the magical circle they left on the ground.

"Phoebe!" It was Rose. She was standing in the doorway, looking still pale and shaken. She looked so young to Piper even if she knew that the demon must be decades older than she.

"Yes?"

"Please... be careful..." Piper saw tears in her eyes. "And tell him...to be strong..."

Phoebe nodded, and told the spell.

For a few seconds Piper watched the place where her sister vanished.

"All right, we better start working, because there's a lot to do!"

-----------------------------------

Cole looked much more horrible than last day. His face was bloody and bruised all over and he practically couldn't open his left eye at all. His hair was stuck with blood and dirt. He wasn't wearing his shirt anymore, Phoebe saw that it was in tatters and that he used its parts to stop the bleeding of his more serious injuries. His upper body didn't look better than his face, either: a huge, almost black bruise covered his chest and there were deep cuts on his back, which frighteningly reminded Phoebe of whip-marks.

"Phoebe..." When he glimpsed her, he tried to rise and he managed even, after some struggling, but he was swaying as if he were drunk.

The girl tried not to think about it, that this was all her fault, but it was hard. She wanted to hug him, but knew that it would only cause him more pain. Instead of that she only grabbed his hand. This time, Cole wasn't chained to the wall, but his wrists were chained together.

"I brought the sword" told Phoebe and raised the weapon. "You will try, won't you?" she asked hopingly.

"Yes." Regarding the state his face was in, Phoebe couldn't really decide if he was really determined or just wanted to calm her. All the same, Cole took the sword, however he almost collapsed under its weight.

"Now, go!"

Phoebe wanted to tell something, but she had no idea what she could say. They just looked at each other, then Cole stepped forward and the next moment Phoebe found herself in his arms. He flinched with pain but still held her close. Then he kissed her slowly and Phoebe felt tears running down her face.

"Do what has to be done" she heard him whisper. "And never forget, that I love you."

The tears were running faster now.

"I love you too... I'm so sorry..." she couldn't tell more.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. You saved me... if this doesn't work...please...save me again. I don't want to live like this."

Phoebe looked him in the eyes, her voice was trembling but still could say what she had to.

"I promise."

Cole hugged her again.

"Go! He's coming back soon..."

-------------------------------------------

Cole was thankful that Phoebe went so quickly and without further argument. Not as if he didn't want to see her, quite the opposite, but couldn't have stayed standing much longer. The moment Phoebe vanished he collapsed to the ground. He hasn't felt so exhausted in his whole life, and every single part of his body burned with pain.

The Source was determined to break his defiance and get the information he wanted. Cole knew that he didn't really need it. The Source could have killed him and then the girls while they were unaware of the danger. This was rather an act of revenge: the Source has never tolerated defiance and Cole did it for a long time. It was as if he had split the bastard in the face, many times. Cole would have smiled about this if it weren't too painful for him...

He knew the methods of the Source... too well actually, as he experienced them many times before on his own skin. However the last nearly two weeks were worse than anything else he had ever gone through. Or almost worse... there were some occasions he didn't even want to remember, especially not now.

But the decision was made and made it lighter. Yes, he would fight. Even, if he has no chance at all. How could he win over the Source if he can't even hold this damned sword? But he can't let Phoebe down... And Rose... Thinking about Rose: Why the hell can't she stay away, somewhere safe, where she belongs? But as he couldn't change this he rather didn't want to think about it. He would fight and go down that way...

The Source was coming back... he could feel it. Cole grabbed the sword with both hands and stood up, just in time to face the Source who stepped in the cave.

-----------------------------------------

By the time Phoebe had arrived back, the girls prepared the cellar for the fight. There were the weapons on the walls. A huge amount of potions in one of the corners and they all took their planned positions. Cole was upstairs wit Leo, Piper asked his husband before to keep their enemy busy with some questions and it worked out quite well.

"Cole, could you come down to the cellar for a moment?" Phoebe called loudly.

They heard his footsteps, and then the door opened.

"Is something wrong?" he asked from the top of the stairs.

"No, we just need some help here!" answered Phoebe and hoped that her voice didn't betray her.

They could hear him coming down the steps. The cellar was arranged for the fight. They put down the crystals at the bottom of the stairs, only one was missing and it was Paige's task to put it in place when "Cole" achieved the right place.

When Cole stepped off of the last stair, Paige dashed forward to finish the trap... And then the crystal exploded and the youngest Charmed One flew back right into the back-wall.

"I guess we can play forthright then" the demon said and conjured a fire-ball over his left hand.

Piper acted immediately and "Cole" exploded, but not before he shot the fire-ball in Paige's direction. However she had the strength to orb away in time. Piper knew of course that she couldn't kill the Source with her active power, and indeed, the black corn aggregated in seconds and her brother-in-law-to-be stood there again with a devilish grin on his face.

"Is this all?" he asked mockingly.

"This is just the start!" Phoebe exclaimed and levitated. She kicked the Source square in the chest and the man stumbled back but didn't fall. A wave of his hand and Phoebe landed next to Paige on the ground. Piper in the midst of the attack grabbed one of the small vials they made ready in the corner and threw it in the demon's face.

It wasn't a strong potion – they didn't want to injure the body seriously! – but it blinded their enemy for a while. Piper looked at her unconscious sisters and called Leo. His husband orbed in instantly and without hesitation went on his work.

"Do you really think that you can save him? Or yourself?"

The Source shook off the effect of the potion and shot a fireball at Leo. However, the aim wasn't accurate yet and so he could finish the healing process. Piper made another attempt at exploding but she missed and got a fire-ball in return. It hit her on the shoulder and hurt like hell, but she didn't lose consciousness, so she could see that Paige stood up and grabbed a knife from the wall. She threw it at the demon, but he stopped it easily and with the same movement sent it back at her. He didn't hit, either, but Paige had to orb again.

After this, all hell broke loose. Both sides used all their magic and the cellar became a mutinous cauldron. Some objects in the room exploded, others caught fire. Phoebe started a scrum but lost, and after a while Piper started to believe that the Source was right, and they really didn't have a chance.

And then suddenly she heard a new voice.

"Stop!"

It was Rose, who they completely forgot about. But she was there, until now couching in a distant corner. But now she stepped forward and stood in front of the Source. Her expression told of strong concentration and Piper saw her eyes turn in a strange goldenish light. _Didn't she say that she hadn't got any active powers? _However, she didn't have time to wander about this, because to her even bigger surprise the Source really stopped. He looked at Rose with a confused expression. He raised his hand as if he wanted to conjure another fireball.

"You don't want to fight!" Rose said distinctly.

"You can't..." the Source groaned.

"You feel weak!"

"No..."

Piper couldn't decide who was trembling more of the two, but she saw that Rose became paler and paler every second and had a good guess that she couldn't keep on her hold over the demon much longer. Her assumption was strengthened when she saw a thin blood-brook coming from Rose's nose. The young woman was trembling even harder, and the next moment the Source pushed himself forward and grabbed her neck.

"A worm like you can't play around in my head" he grunted.

Until now the three witches stood almost mesmerized but seeing the demon move they all took action. Their collective attack sent "Cole" flying and he hit the ground hard...but he stood up again immediately while Rose collapsed and went absolutely still. There was grim fury on his face and he started in earnest: shot out two fire-balls after each other, and Paige went down. Then he hit Piper making her fall to the floor as well. He turned at Phoebe and the girl was almost stunned by the cruel intensity of his eyes. How could she not see the difference? This wasn't Cole, this man in front of her had no hint of humanity in his face. She tried to protect herself but had no chance at all. A steel grip grabbed her shoulders and the demon pushed her to the wall.

"I don't see how you could change Belthazor" he groaned. "You are nothing special..."

His hands wandered to her throat and started to stifle her. She made a desperate movement to free herself but he pinched her to the wall with all his weight.

"Now he can watch as I kill you and it will break his heart before he dies as well."

"No..." Phoebe choked out and strained herself even more, but her eyesight started to go blurry and deep in her heart she started to bow to the unavoidable.

----------------------

The Source stopped for a moment and Cole saw a slight surprise on his scarry face. _Or was he just imagining things? _All the same, he raised the sword and stepped forward.

"You must be kidding" the Source marked sarcastically. He was expressing Cole's own thoughts: he could hardly stand, how did he want to fight the strongest demon who had ever existed?

"I'm not kidding." He said with more determination than he felt.

"Then let's go!"

The Source raised his hand and conjured a fire-ball. Cole prepared himself and in the moment the demon shot out the ball he dove left. However it wouldn't have made much difference because after the first one came a second and he couldn't move in time...but then something happened. The sword seemed to flicker and some strange light appeared around it. The fire-ball glanced off from the sudden field of force and now the Source seemed really stunned.

"The Sword of Acres..." he whispered. But then his mouth drew into a biting smile. "I guess my cover is up then... Never mind, I still will kill them... and you."

He conjured a sword in his right hand and took on a fighting position. Cole scrambled to the feet, as well. He felt the sword still trembling a little bit, and also felt some strange magical power vibrating in it and floating over into him. Suddenly he wasn't as drained anymore, and when the Source attacked he countered surprisingly easily.

And then they started to duel. The blades twinkled and sparkled as they clashed. The Source was quick and a professional fighter, but Cole had a good training as well and he hadn't been one of the best hitmen in the Underworld for nothing. However even with the added power from the sword he was still weak and injured. He felt the pain in his back and arms coming back quickly.

Using his momentary distraction the Source hit him hard with the sword-guard and Cole fell to the knees feeling dizzy as he almost blacked out. His luck however didn't leave him, because in the same moment the Source stiffened and listened to the outside world.

"I guess they have a plan to help you" he said matter-of-factly. "Do they really think that I can't fight you both at the same time? I think I have some revelations for them..."

Cole used the few seconds to collect himself and stood up again. He was worried to death about Phoebe and the others but knew that he can't let his worries influence him now. If he can't finish this in here, there might be other victims today...

"Do you want to make another speech, or can we start fighting?" he countered.

"Is it so urgent for you to die?"

Cole jumped forward and took the lead in the attack this time. The swords distended against each other. They both stabbed and carved and blocked, the duel became constant moving. But Cole soon felt his movements and muscles stiffen, he knew that he didn't have much time left, so he attacked even harder. Maybe this caused what happened next... The Source broke out and stabbed forward and Cole couldn't dodge in time. The pain was excruciating as the blade cut in his right shoulder. He couldn't hold his own sword and it fell to the floor with a loud clattering.

As he fell backwards his dash pulled out the sword of the demon's hands. He wanted to stand up again but the cave around him darkened and he felt his body go limp. He watched helplessly as the Source stepped closer and bent over him. He couldn't do anything when the evil creature grabbed the guard of the sword again and with a distinct movement pushed the iron deeper. It went through flesh and bone and practically pinned him to the ground. Cole screamed and couldn't do anything to stop it, either.

In that moment he knew that he would die. It wasn't that bad...everything was better then this pain. But Phoebe... she still might have a chance... they are strong...the Power of Three... _Oh, my god! _He closed his eyes and prepared for the final blow... But it never came.

Cole opened his eyes and watched stunned the Source of All Evil. The demon didn't move, didn't even stir. He was standing like a frozen statue, his eyes blurry, almost glassy. _What the hell? _Then suddenly he understood: this could only be Rose, but he knew as well that his sister won't be able to hold back the demon too long. She wasn't trained; her natural power was raw and immature.

Cole collected all his strength and with his left hand grabbed the weapon that pinned him to the floor. He pulled it with all his might...and then screamed again. _Shit...Oh, hell! _His eyesight blackened and felt blood flow freely down his arm and side. A few seconds later the sword was out and he was just lying there trembling and gasping for air, absolutely apathetic to his surrounding or to his enemy.

When his senses came back the Source was himself again. He was smiling at him, but there was no happiness in that smile, it was cruel and furious in a sick way.

"You are pathetic" he grunted. "You and your sister, I've always known that one can't trust half-bloods."

_Strange, _Cole didn't really listen to the Source. He heard and saw him, and the cave, but at the same time he saw the cellar of the Halliwell house, either. The girls were attacking _him, _or his body, or whatever. Rose was lying on the floor, obviously unconscious. This was the strangest and most unnatural experience he ever had.

The Source turned away from him, and concentrated all his power on the outside world. Cole saw _himself _throwing a fire-ball at Paige. Then Piper went down, and the other-Cole went after Phoebe. This was the moment when his blindly fumbling fingers found something hard and cold... his sword.

Some of the power he had felt before came back again. He grabbed the sword... The Source was pushing Phoebe to the wall and was choking her. Cole didn't know how he did it – or did _he _do it? or was it rather the sword itself... - but he stood up. He faltered two steps and stopped behind the Source, the demon semi-turned and Cole would have laughed at his surprised expression if he'd had the strength to it. So he just raised the sword and crushed down. The blade went through the demon easily and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but there was only black blood coming out... and the next moment the Source just vanished. As if he had never existed...

The world was spinning around Cole, for a moment he saw Phoebe... he looked her straight in the eyes... and then everything went black.

--------------------------

Phoebe was out of breath, and the grip on her throat didn't loosen. She thought about her sisters: were they dead? Was Cole dead? If so, she didn't want to live on, either. She was fading...

And then suddenly it was over. She didn't feel the strong hands on her neck anymore and air was left back in her thirsty lungs.

She opened her eyes and looked in the eyes of Cole. She knew it was really _him._ His expression was confused and scared and painful, but loving all the same. Then the finely dressed figure faded like an old photo and it was exchanged by the battered and bloody Cole, she had seen in that cave before. Just that he was even more bloody and worn out than before. His right shoulder and upper-body was soaked in blood and his temple was bleeding as well.

Phoebe wanted to say something or just cry out in relief but her throat was sore and she still felt dizzy. And then Cole stumbled, his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor. Phoebe, totally out of breath and weak, collapsed right beside him.

---------------------

Leo felt almost everything and orbed in the cellar as fast as he could. He wanted to help the girls in the fight, but his task was to stay safe and heal them if they needed it. If he had been there, and would have taken out by the Source, it could be fatal for all of them.

The sight the welcomed him was a scary one. All three girls were lying unconscious. He knew that it was the order of his heart and not his mind but he chose Piper first. Then he went to Paige and Phoebe. They all came to quickly.

Phoebe's first glimpse went at the bleeding figure on the floor.

"Cole! Oh, my God! Leo..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! It is really him! He stopped the Source...!"

Leo kneeled down beside the ex-demon.

"He isn't breathing..."

"Please..."

Leo didn't know, who or what Phoebe was asking for, but he put his hands over the most serious wound on his shoulder. He felt the energy wander into the other man's body, but also felt, that Cole has already gone far. He strained even more... and the wound started to heal.

"What's wrong?" asked Phoebe between two sobs.

Leo just shrugged.

"Is he still evil?" asked Piper quietly.

"No. I'm sure that he's not the Source anymore."

The golden light coming from his hands intensified and Cole took a haggard breath and moaned quietly. The wound closed but he didn't wake up.

"He will heal" Leo declared.

"But why doesn't he regain consciousness?" Phoebe asked worriedly.

Leo looked up:

"I feel that he is still weak but I can't heal him further. He was adrift to both dark and light magic. Very dark magic, as I feel. I guess he will wake up when he's ready. I'll take him up to your room." With that he orbed out.

-------------------------

He didn't know where he was but it was neither the cave nor the Underworld. This much he knew for sure. Was this death? But if he were dead, he surely wouldn't be in such a comfortable place. He wanted to see, but didn't have the strength to open his eyes. Was the Source still waiting for him? If so he didn't want to be awake.

Some time later he woke up again and this time he could open up his eyes. He was in a room... in Phoebe's room to be correct. And Phoebe was there too, sleeping peacefully in a chair beside the bed, he was lying in.

Cole sat up, but dropped back again immediately... his head hurt like hell and he moaned out involuntary. Phoebe's eyes snapped open and the next moment she was on the bed hugging and kissing him and mumbling incoherently.

"Oh, my god... I thought... I'm so sorry..."

After a few moments Cole pulled away but still held her hands.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

He thought about it, and then realized that he did remember, indeed.

"I think...I do. In a way... I guess I killed him..."

"So you did!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I told you, you can do it!"

"Yes."

Cole knew that he should feel relieved but he felt only one thing: fatigue.

"I'll tell the others that you woke up. They were worried about you..."

"Really?"

"Even Paige. But I'll go, I'm sure Rose wants to see you..."

"She is still here?" Why wasn't he surprised at all?

Phoebe nodded and slipped out the door.

A few minutes went by, during that Cole thought about what happened in the last days. Then the door opened again and Rose came in.

"Hi."

"You shouldn't be here, you know." Cole warned her.

"It was a pleasure to save your life." She commented sarcastically.

Cole didn't say a word, just frowned. Rose sat down on the chair. She didn't hug or kiss him like Phoebe – she was brought up by demons in the Underworld and wasn't really used to showing her emotions, just like Cole – but he could see that she was happy and relieved. She just bent forward and caressed his hand gently.

"How did you know?" Cole asked.

"I saw the future."

Cole looked at her a little bit surprised. Rose was special and could have been called a Seer but he rarely spoke about her visions and never intervened.

"What did you see?"

"You know I won't tell you... But I saw suffering, sadness and death..."

They sat in silence for a while, and then Rose asked.

"How do you feel?"

"Drained... strange... I guess this whole ordeal must have been hard for a human..."

"You think you are only human?"

"Am I not?" he asked even more surprised.

She shook her head.

"You can never be. You are magical. Maybe you can be separated from your powers for a while but they will find you again and again."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you feel it?"

Now that they talked about it, Cole started to feel something. Something was really different. He didn't feel that emptiness that lurked in his mind and heart after the vanquishing of Belthazor.

"But I'm not..."

"No. The Source is destroyed, but some of his powers stayed with you. Or so I think, at least. You will find out later, but now you should rest."

"How does it come, that my blind little sister sees everything much clearer than anybody else I know."

She shrugged.

"I'll come and visit you more often, but now I really should go."

She stood up but Cole had another question that bothered him.

"Do you think Phoebe will like the idea that I have demonic powers again?"

"Your powers aren't demonic, Cole. Just magical. Not the powers decide who you are. Maybe if Phoebe and her sisters won't mind, if they understand this."

The end


End file.
